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Welcome to the ECFR China Programme

How to deal with a global China is perhaps the biggest challenge that European foreign policy faces. Decisions taken in Beijing are central to virtually all the EU’s pressing global concerns, whether curbing climate change, stopping the spread of nuclear weapons or saving debt-ridden European economies. Despite this, European member states and institutions still lack a consistent and effective common approach to relations with China.

ECFR’s China programme made its mark with a groundbreaking report in 2009: “A Power Audit of EU-China Relations”. Since then, it has intensively and successfully campaigned to raise awareness of the need to address the growing power imbalance between China and the EU, and to highlight the lack of prioritisation, continuity and even coordination among Europeans on this issue.

The programme is recognised for its policy-focused expertise, leading in-country research and unrivalled pan-European outreach. Its events, publications and regular analyses of internal Chinese debates all contribute to an improved European understanding of China’s rise.

• Along with reports and publications, our experts regularly publish commentaries and blog posts. The China programme and its expert staff also regularly feature in ECFR audio podcasts, which are published in five languages. You can also subscribe to ECFR’s podcast streams via the multimedia page of our website or through iTunes.
• ECFR Foreign Policy Scorecard: ECFR’s comprehensive annual assessment of Europe’s performance on the world stage tracks the EU’s ability to deal with a more assertive China by grading the EU’s unity, resources and impact across 13 different policy areas. Click here for the China section of ECFR Scorecard 2010.
• China Analysis: This quarterly publication introduces Western audiences to the strategic debates taking place inside China’s expert and think tank worlds by drawing on Chinese language sources. It is designed to help the European policy community understand how China’s leadership thinks about the domestic and foreign policy issues that can shape that country’s future relationship with Europe and the world.